The Public Petitions Committee has called for swift administrative action against industries discharging effluents into Athi River.
The committee further wants industries operating without Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) along the river punished.
Speaking after a tour of the river in Machakos, the committee recommended that the licences of non-compliant businesses be revoked without delays to protect the river from further pollution.
Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai emphasised the need for functioning waste treatment plants in companies.
“We want immediate resignation of the Nema officials in charge of this area because they lack of dedication to fulfil their responsibilities,” he stated.
Officials from Export Processing Zone Authority, Mavoko Water and Sewerage Company, Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority nd National Environment Management Authority accompanied the committee during the tour.
The committee toured the river following a petition filed by the Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka (Energy Committee Chair) on the pollution of River Athi.
“It is crucial to recognise that the adverse effects of pollution originating from industrial waste and residential sewage in Nairobi, upstream from the river, are significantly impacting downstream consumers,” he said in the petition.
He said failure to address the issue poses a grave threat to the nation’s well-being.
The committee proposed that Nema exclusively grant licences to factories equipped with operational ETPs.
They further recommended regular and unannounced inspections while enforcing administrative measures against companies failing to comply.
The committee suggested the drafting of legislation with stringent punitive measures to safeguard vulnerable Kenyan citizens from non-compliant industries and residential estates.
